I was diagnosed last March 29, 2012 in a time that I was supposed to leave the country in a couple more weeks. I had my medical exam, and the result returned POSITIVE. From then on, my journey with HIV began.

The entrance of social media in spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS has gone viral. Famous personalities and the common man alike showed their support not just to HIV education but also with regards to the lives and struggles of the LGBT community.

In November 2012, there were 284 new HIV Ab sero-positive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) and reported to the HIV and AIDS Registry. This was 34% higher compared to the same period last year.

Most of the cases (97%) were males. The median age was 28 years (age range: 17-59 years). The 20-29 years (52%) age-group had the most number of cases. Forty-seven percent (134) of the reported cases were from the National Capital Region (NCR).

Reported mode of transmission were sexual contact (282) and needle sharing among injecting drug users (2). Males having sex with other males (82%) were the predominant type of sexual transmission. Most (92%) of the cases were still asymptomatic at the time of reporting.

AIDS Cases

Of the 284 HIV positive cases, twenty-four were reported as AIDS cases, all were males. The median age is 29 years (age range: 20-45 years). Ninety-six percent (23) acquired the infection through sexual contact (15 homosexual, 4 heterosexual, and 14 bisexual) and 1 acquired through needle sharing among injecting drug users. There was no reported death for this month.

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

Thirty-five of the 284 (12%) reported cases were OFWs. There were 32 males and 3 females. The median age was 32 years (age range: 21-52 years). All acquired the infection through sexual contact (12 heterosexual, 16 homosexual, and 7 bisexual).

I am a young man from the Philippines living with HIV. I was diagnosed last March 29, 2012 just as my career in the healthcare industry was about to take off. My personal advocacy focuses on HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and awareness in the LGBT community, particularly the youth. You can contact me at: pinoypositive@gmail.com

In March 29 of this year, I learned that I am positive to a dreaded disease: HIV!
They say I am a person full of potential: graduated in the top class in high school; degree from UP; two professional licenses; worked in a world-class healthcare institution; and has gathered more than enough working experience.
As 2012 started, I know I was ready to conquer the world.
But what happened? What went wrong?

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